Ohio Players’ Walter “Junie” Morrison Is Dead

The legendary multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer also worked with Funkadelic

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Walter “Junie” Morrison, the legendary multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and producer, has died. Ohio Players confirmed his passing on their official Facebook page. A cause of death has not yet been revealed. Best known as the keyboardist and vocalist for Ohio Players, Morrison also served as musical director for Parliament/Funkadelic during the late ’70s. George Clinton is said to have called him “the most phenomenal musician on the planet.” In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Funkadelic. Morrison also released several solo albums. His final record, When the City, came out in 2004.

In 2015, Morrison contributed to Dâm-Funk’s album Invite the Light. The producer took to Twitter to pay respects to him, calling him “‘my’ King of #FUNK.” Last year, Solange included the Morrison-inspired track “Junie” on A Seat at the Table. In an interview, Morrison said of the honor, “I was a bit taken aback by the surprise but very appreciative that she wanted to put time and energy into creating it.” He added, “Suffice it to say, I was like, WHAAAT???!!!”